Warrant Unsealed In Sex Abuse Case

MIDDLETOWN — The Washin-Ryukarate studio was like family. Parents had enough trust in Joseph Giacco, a longtime student there, that they allowed their sons to sleep over at his home.

An arrest warrant unsealed Monday charges Giacco, a locksmith for the state prison system, with sexually abusing a thirdboy he befriended at the local karate studio. Giacco earlier was charged with molesting two other boys.

Like the two alleged victims who came forward before him, the boy -- now a teenager -- says he was sexually assaulted at Giacco's converted garage apartment in Durham. The warrant alleges the assault happened in 1998, when the boy was 11.

Giacco was charged Oct. 18 with fourth-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor in the case-- but the warrant detailing the allegations remained sealed. It was sealed at the request of prosecutors, who said that information in it might identify the victim because of the karate studio's small size.

Judge Robert Holzberg released an edited copy of the warrant Monday, following a hearing in Superior Court in Middletown. Giacco's lawyer again argued against the unsealing of the warrant, claiming it would hurt his client's right to a fair trial. Holzberg rejected that argument.

Giacco, 55, has been suspended since June from his $48,000-a-year job at the Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire. State police began their investigation when a boy living out of state toldthem he had been sexually abused as a 12-year-old on three occasions inside Giacco's apartment on Bear Rock Road, state police said.

Giacco admitted to the allegations when he was confronted with them and later checked into a psychiatric hospital, police said. Two other boys came forward with strikingly similar stories, after their parents urged them to tell police. Giacco refused to talk to police again.

The most recent teenager to come forward said one night in 1998, during a sleepover at Giacco's house, Giacco put his hand down his pants while the boy was watching TV, police said. The boy jumped off the couch and Giacco disappeared into his bedroom, the warrant states.

Later that night, the boy pretended he was sick and asked his mother to pick him up.

The boy kept the incident secret, he told police, because he was afraid of what his parents might do to Giacco.

Giacco, who has denied the charges against him, had earned his way to a black belt over years of taking classes at the studio.

Michael Moan, owner of the karate studio, said he terminated Giacco from taking classes in December, after several parents complained about Giacco berating their kids. He also changed the locks in his building -- locks that Giacco had originally made the keys for when the studio opened.

Moan said he worries about the alleged victims and the effect that the drawn out court proceedings will have on them.

He also feels partly responsible. ``Down inside, you know I feel terrible about this -- why didn't I see it?'' he said.